BSc (Hons) Astrophysics

I begin a typical day by commuting in from London using the UNO buses; a bus service provided by the University. With UNO buses you can get discounted UH (University of Hertfordshire) student tickets with an accompanying student ID. They offer single, daily, weekly, monthly, termly or yearly tickets.

Once at the university there is the Forum which houses the student shop (the university’s convenience store), subway, and other places to grab a bite to eat which is where I usually buy my lunch from or if it’s lunchtime I sit in and eat at the student forum restaurant, which serves hot food, with my friends.

I then have anywhere between one to four hours of lectures, tutorials and practicals (depending on how compact my timetable is), usually with at least a one-hour break in between. All lectures are an hour-long, and they can be in the form of single or double lectures with a small break in between the doubles. Lectures consist of listening to the lecturer and making notes, tutorials consist of going through a set of pre-set questions, which reflect the previous week’s taught material, that is expected to be completed and ready beforehand and finally, practicals are usually lab-based. Once the teaching day is done, I spend an hour or two going through notes, completing assignments.

After this I have the evening to hang out with friends such as at the on-campus common rooms where they have pool tables and table tennis or I head home, again using the UNO buses.

And that’s a typical day as an Astrophysics student. :)

Having had the privilege of studying Astrophysics at two universities I can say that the education is very similar, this, of course, can only be said for this degree but what really differentiates the universities are by what they have to offer rather than solely the teaching aspect.

At Herts, Physics and Astrophysics are offered, both at BSc and MSc levels which allows for a choice. This freedom continues onto the module choice in each year which I am particularly fond of as I prefer the mathematical modules offered here. Astrophysics is slightly more restricted than Physics as you must choose at least one Astro module however we do get to choose at least one module per semester, and in the third year we largely choose our modules where there is a range of options, scaling from theoretical physics to mathematical physics to engineering modules, the choice is yours!

On top of this, the grade weightings for assignments and exams are mostly 40/60 for physics modules and 20/80 for mathematics modules along with modules which are worth 100% coursework such as Planetary Systems and Programming, which means less pressure when it comes to the exam period.

I also love the support available here at Herts, academic and otherwise. Lecturers are sure to have office hours available for students to answer any questions and have regular drop-in sessions with academics to help with assignments or for any queries. Furthermore, each year has a student rep elected by the students, one person each for Physics and Astrophysics, who are there to help get across any concerns students may have about the course or anything else that might need bringing to attention so your voice is always heard and valued.

I especially love the emphasis on graduate prospects, internships, working abroad and placement years here at Herts. In the Physics, Astronomy and Mathematical school (PAM) we have our own dedicated career advisor who sends us regular emails about prospective jobs, internships, and placement opportunities available to our school and how we can apply to this. In the second year, all students must complete a non-credited module called Career Planning and Development which is a highly valuable module designed to further our skills even after we have graduated; focusing on employability alongside gaining a degree which will benefit in the long run.

Finally, Go Herts is a recognised award which helps you stand out from the rest in prospective job applications, it is offered to students who have engaged in a range of extra-curricular activities outside of the assessed part of your degree (such as a part-time job) which is awarded to you at the end of your programme of study which is an added recognition just for doing what you would do anyway!

That’s what I love about Herts!

I am a second-year transfer student, so I didn’t apply as a typical first-year student and I didn’t come through Clearing. The process to transfer was easy and straight forward with the University of Hertfordshire; applying so late in the year meant it was difficult to guarantee a place on any course. However, Herts was very accommodating and gave me the green light after just my first conversation with my programme coordinator after confirming that I passed the grade entry requirements. I emailed over my HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report) report and soon I was officially enrolled as a second-year Astrophysics student.

I chose Herts as it has a lot of accessibility which helps my course. For example, the Bayfordbury observatory has a range of telescopes that are available to use throughout your degree. Along with this, Herts is ranked well on the Physics and Astronomy tables, being in line with some of the Russel Group universities. But most of all the support and graduate opportunities and prospects interested me.